Page 95 of Resilience on Canvas

“I know, but I had a couple of nickels left, and I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about yesterday’s supper. With how mad you were, I thought you could probably use one.”

“Nah, I’m feelin’ better now,” Robert said, holding up one of his hands. “I think me and Hen figured everything out with regards to makin’ money.”

“Do you mean the fruit pickin’?”

Robert nodded. “Me and Hen will make enough to find us our own place soon. Not only for me and him, though. I mean for everybody. All of us. I’ll see to it that we won’t have to keep bein’ leeches, takin’ money from the Sherwoods like this.”

“Alright, well, I’ll save these in case you ever have a cravin’ for one,” she said before tucking the package into one of her dress pockets.

Robert leaned back to rest his weight on his palms. “Henry would probably like it if I never had one again. I caught him wrinklin’ his nose the last time I smoked a cigarette. Of course, he was too polite to say nothin’.”

Rose chuckled. “Sounds like our Henry.”

“Yep.”

Robert let out what had to have been the most pathetic, lovesick sigh in the entirety of human existence. He’d have been embarrassed by it if he hadn’t been too Goddamn happy to care.

Clara smiled and said, “Me and Rose have a second surprise for you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, we, uhm, we convinced the twins to sleep in the room with me and May tonight,” she said. “So, you and Henry can have some time to yerselves.”

Robert’s heart stuttered. Now this was amuchbetter surprise than the cigarettes.

Grinning, Robert said, “How’d you manage that?”

“I offered to buy them chocolate,” Rose said with a sly smile.

“Thank you,” Robert said. “Damn, that was real nice of you, Rose. I promise I’ll pay you back.”

“We’re friends, and it’ll cost me a nickel. Don’t eventhinkof paying me back.”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” Robert said with a roll of his eyes. “Did you and Joe find a place?”

“Not yet. Unfortunately, the cheapest rental house we could find would cost us twenty bucks a month. We have a lot in savings now because of the marathon, but I’m worried that we’ll run through it too fast if neither of us has found work first.” She let out a long breath and leaned back, mirroring Robert’s position. “I hope one of us finds something soon.”

Robert’s stomach plummeted. Holy hell, twenty bucks for rent. God, he hoped that him and Henry would make enough picking fruit together.

Clara placed a hand on Robert’s knee. “What’s wrong?”

Squeezing his eyes shut, Robert forced the thought out of his head. There wasn’t no use worrying right now, not when there wasn’t no way to know how much money him and Henry would make on the farms. They were two strong, capable men. It wasn’t likely that they’d make too little to rent a regular old house. They didn’t need nothing fancy. And with the two of thembothworking hard in the fields? They would be fine.

“Nothin’,” Robert said, hopping to his feet. “But I think I ought to head in. Get some rest.”

“Rest?” Rose replied with a chuckle. “I thought we said you and Henry could have the bedroom.”

Clara erupted with laughter. Robert nudged Rose with his foot.

“Goodnight, you two,” he said, trying to sound mad, but he was smiling way too much.

What a lucky man he was to have these fine folks in his life—people who were comfortable enough with him and Henry’s relationship to tease him so easily.

“Goodnight,” they called back as Robert went into the house.

Luckily, Rose’s teasing had banished Robert’s worry over the cost of housing from his mind, leaving Robert feeling hopeful again. After toeing off his shoes, he crept through the house on the balls of his feet, unsure if anyone else was still awake. Most of the lights were off. Joe and Henry were no longer in the main room, though the checker board was still resting on the coffee table with some of the black and red pieces remaining on the squares.

Slowly, Robert ascended the staircase to the third floor where most of the bedrooms were, wincing every time the wood creaked beneath his feet. Damn, if him and Henry were found out, Charles and Lillian wouldn’t be none too happy. Probably there’d be some kind of fight, which was the last thing him and Henry needed.

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